Summary
This video explains the two primary methods archaeologists use to date ancient remains: relative dating and absolute dating. It differentiates between the two approaches, detailing how each is applied in archaeological research.
Highlights
Introduction to Dating Methods
00:00:00
Archaeologists use dating methods to determine the age of ancient remains. These methods fall into two main categories: relative dating and absolute dating.
Relative Dating Explained
00:00:11
Relative dating aims to order objects or archaeological cultures chronologically. This is typically achieved through stratigraphy, which involves studying the layers of soil and rock.
Absolute Dating Explained
00:00:24
Absolute dating seeks to pinpoint a specific point in the past when an object or culture existed. In the Southeast, radiocarbon dating is a common method for this. Archaeologists find charcoal associated with what they want to date, measure its age using radiocarbon dating, and then assign that age to the associated materials.